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Smart sound in performance drive

Smart sound in performance drive

4 minutes

Pikes Peak soars more than 14,000 feet above Colorado Springs. Drivers have been racing to its summit for more than a century, making the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb one of the oldest auto races. It is also one of the most challenging. Competitors navigate 156 turns through thin air that slows reflexes and saps engine strength. Drivers and vehicles must be in top shape simply to finish, let alone win.

In June, the all-new 2019 Acura RDX made its Pikes Peak Hill Climb debut, with a few engine modifications. While media coverage may have focused on driving performance, new technology inside the RDX is wowing consumers with a unique audio experience created by the all-new ELS Studio 3D™ surround system, tuned by eight-time Grammy Award-winning recording engineer and producer Elliot Scheiner. It is based on an inspired approach to system design, integration and sound tuning developed by Panasonic and the technical teams at Acura.

Stephen Frey, engineering development leader for the all-new Acura RDX, and Tom Dunn, director of Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, share ideas behind the RDX’s technology, the design of the sound system and thoughts on the industry’s future.

Question: Talk about the collaborative innovation that went into the RDX.

Stephen Frey: The 2019 RDX is the first in a new generation of Acura products that we’re developing from the ground up. We’re returning to our core concept of precision crafted performance. Not only is this the best handling RDX ever, but we’re making a much bolder statement through exterior styling and it’s packed full of class-winning features. Because of that focus on precision, partnering with music legend Elliot Scheiner and Panasonic has been a perfect match. This car delivers an audio experience like no other.

Question: How do you create an audio experience like no other?

Stephen Frey: We’ve packed 16 speakers into this car but, what I think makes a real difference, are four Highline speakers in the roof lining. This brings the soundstage up into the cabin and really fills the environment with sound. These speakers are powered by 710 watts across 16 channels.
The craftsmanship that went into the whole system really allows listeners to hear the full spectrum of sound from their favorite music. That’s why, throughout the national campaign we launched in June featuring the sound system, we decided to pair it with the Rolling Stone’s classic, “She’s a Rainbow.” The range of performance of this system is incredibly wide; we were able to work with Elliot and the ELS team to paint a large format soundscape inside the car.

What’s more, with the new RDX we’ve also launched Acura's True Touchpad Interface™, a total rethink of automotive user interface designed from a clean slate around the driver and the driving experience. The technology makes controlling and selecting content, brought to life through the ELS Studio 3D sound system, easier than ever.

Question: Car buyers want the same level of tech inside the vehicle that they are accustomed on the exterior—how did consumer UX shape the sound experience?

Tom Dunn: What we’ve learned after 100 years of consumer technology development at Panasonic, is that the “wow” wears off quickly. Companies that successfully introduce innovations design them so consumers intuitively understand their features. With intuitive use comes delight, trust, and ultimately, from a consumer’s perspective, technology that disappears behind the experience it supports. I think you’re seeing this in consumers’ reaction to the ELS Studio 3D in the Acura RDX.

EVA1 captures UMC TV series "40 and Single"

EVA1 captures UMC TV series "40 and Single"

3 minutes
Neil Matsumoto

Written and directed by Leila Djansi, 40 and Single is an UMC (Urban Movie Channel) television series that tells the story of a bisexual, mixed race, single bridal fashion designer as she maneuvers life and business in post-colonial Africa. It recently won the Audience Award at The LA Film Festival for Episodic Pilot and was shot by cinematographer Pietro Villani with the EVA1 cinema camera.

According to Villani, the biggest challenge in shooting 40 and Single was shooting in Ghana, which has no production infrastructure. Because of this, he needed a camera that was compact and lightweight for run-and-gun shooting, could capture in low-light environments, and had wide dynamic range for uncontrolled lighting environments. “You sacrifice having your usual gear and crew in trade for a beautiful country and their hard working crew,” says Villani. “We had a fair amount of night exteriors and I needed a camera that could use the existing street light as a base. Condors were not in the budget and they don’t really use them in Ghana, so a camera that could handle that amount of low light was necessary. In the daylight shots, I had a cast with mixed skin tones – dark, medium, and light – to deal with in an uncontrolled environment with small HMI heads.”

Due to the show’s modest budget, Villani knew he had to be creative in his approach to the visuals. He and Djansi had previously shot a feature film in Ghana and wanted to create a completely different look. “I did tests on dark skin people here in the U.S. and tried different looks,” explains Villani. “For this movie, we just touched on references in the film and art world, but we tried to approach it as if it was the first time anyone had shot in Ghana, or Africa.”

With the EVA1, Villani shot in UHD (3840x2160) at 23.98-fps in 10-bit 422 LongGOP 150. (The ALL-I 400Mbps codec had not been released at the time of shooting.) “I was shooting mixed skin colors so I need the most range I could get,” reveals Villani. “I like the Panasonic V709 LUT because it’s a little aggressive, which gives me safety since the blacks are very crushed and the whites are pushed. I did many tests back in LA with my D.I.T., Dino Dumandan. I would always look at the V-Log before we shot and gauged it there.”

For many of the night exteriors, Villani shot under street lights and added his own small fixtures to accent the feel of the sodium vapor lamps in Ghana. “I set the ISO at 2500 base and then dialed down to 1600,” he says. “There was no noise. It is hard to get used to cranking up the camera and shooting that way. Old habits die hard and new ground is sometimes scary, so you could say I played it safe.” For lenses, Villani went with Canon Cinema EOS primes. According to Villani, the Canon lenses felt right with the EVA1 and had the speed he needed for night exteriors.

One of the most difficult scenes was shot in a bridal shop, which had tinted windows that were an ND 12 and were similar to ½ CTO. “I had two 4K HMI pars that I would blast through windows, but I had to gel them to 1/2 CTB to combat the tint,” says Villani. “I didn’t get the push I wanted so I had to get creative with exposure and placement of interior heads. Because of this, there wasn’t as much ambient light in the room so I had to place small lights inside to bring up the ambient and help the windows wrap. I have to say that watching the footage you would never know the issues I had to deal with. People will watch the scenes and say, “Oh, that daylight interior with plenty of windows must have been easy to shoot.”

40 and Single was posted at Simerly Post Productions. Villani set his looks by grading still images on his own computer and would send them to his colorist for reference. “I like sending stills that I corrected because I feel it gets them thinking about the grade before I arrive,” explains Villani. “The way this show was posted, I could spend some time in the suite coloring like a feature, but not to the full extent.

“The EVA1 really lived up to and surpassed what I thought it would be capable of doing,” continues Villani. “Great latitude, image, workflow, and capabilities. As Dino said many times, ‘I can’t believe how great this camera is.' I’m still floored at seeing the footage that came out of this little camera."

Top 5 VariCam must-watch movies

Top 5 VariCam must-watch movies

4 minute read
Neil Matsumoto

In cinema, the look of a film can be as integral to the storytelling as it’s characters and dialogue. Cinematography paints a mood, creates a setting, and establishes a point-of-view. And in the case of groundbreaking films shot with Panasonic VariCam digital cinema cameras, it can even play a leading role.

“The main attribute that I love about VariCam is the richness of the color and the ability to grade the image,” says cinematographer Drew Dawson. “The camera has a really unique sensor, and for me, that opens up creative avenues.”

From iconic books-turned-movies, to indie breakouts and an award-winning cinema short, five talented cinematographers take us behind the camera, revealing how they achieved the creative look of their must-see films.

Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians is a romantic comedy-drama film, based on the best-selling novel by Kevin Kwan, and tells the story of an Asian American woman who meets her boyfriend's family, only to find out they are one of the richest clans in Singapore. The Warner Bros film was directed by Jon M. Chu (Now You See Me 2, G.I. Joe: Retaliation) and features an all Asian cast, including Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Ken Jeong, Michelle Yeoh, and many others. It is the first Hollywood studio film to feature Asians in leading roles since director Wayne Wang’s 1993 film, The Joy Luck Club.

The film was shot by cinematographer Vanja Černjul, ASC, HFC (The Perfection, The Deuce, Marco Polo) with VariCam Pure cinema cameras. “I loved (director) Jon Chu’s approach to the story,” explains Černjul. “He wanted Crazy Rich Asians to be the most beautiful film he ever made. He is a visual director and I was excited by the challenge.

Černjul was very pleased with the way Crazy Rich Asians turned out. “Besides being an important milestone on the road towards more equal representation in Hollywood, the film was received overwhelmingly positive by both audience and critics so far,” he says. “I am happy I had a chance to be a part of what is being described as not only a film, but a movement.”

Farenheit 451

Written during the McCarthy era and published in 1953, Ray Bradbury’s classic dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, is set in a society where books are outlawed and firemen are charged with burning them. In 2018, Ramin Bahrani co-wrote and directed the film adaptation for HBO, starring Michael B. Jordan, who also served as executive producer.

The stylized film was shot by cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau, ASC (Game of Thrones, Thor: The Dark World, Terminator Genisys). For Morgenthau, Fahrenheit 451 brought him back to his early roots as a filmmaker and awakened his artistic sensibilities, as well as his passion for film.

“Literature and art are a valuable part of our culture that we sometimes take for granted,” he explains. “There are things that should be cherished and protected. Also, Ramin is a passionate filmmaker and has made a lot of amazing independent films like Man Push Cart, Chop Shop, and 99 Homes – they’re all strong films that are purely about story and character, not spectacle. When reading the script, Fahrenheit 451 seemed to me like one of those films.”

Alex Strangelove

Alex Strangelove is a high school romance film that was directed by Craig Johnson (Wilson, The Skeleton Twins) and shot by cinematographer Hillary Spera with VariCam Pure cinema cameras. The Netflix feature film tells the story of Alex Truelove (Daniel Doheny), a well-rounded high school student who plans to lose his virginity to his girlfriend Clare (Madeline Weinstein) during his senior year. Complications occur when he meets Elliot (Antonio Marziale), who makes him question his sexual identity.

“I had been a fan of Craig’s work and this was a truly unique and awesome script,” says Spera. “It was incredibly funny, had so much heart, and I loved how real the characters felt, in addition to the use of magical realism to show Alex’s rich and complex inner world, and his relationship to the outside world as he discovers himself.

One of the challenges that Craig and I talked about was trying to maintain naturalism while showing the surreal moments when Alex is realizing who he is. How bizarre and wonderful high school first love can be. The excitement, the heartbreak, the mistakes – all of it. We set out to show that in a way that unique but not over the top and specific to him and his view of the world, while maintaining a story that felt tangible, relatable, and grounded."

6 Balloons

While trying to keep her boyfriend’s surprise birthday party on track, Katie’s day takes a drastic detour after picking up her brother, Seth, and his daughter. Realizing Seth has relapsed in his heroin addiction, Katie drives him around town trying to find a detox center that will admit him. 6 Balloons was written and directed by Marja-Lewis Ryan and shot by cinematographer Polly Morgan, BSC (Spinning Man, The Intervention) with VariCam 35 cameras. The Netflix feature film, which stars Abbi Jacobsen and Dave Franco, had its premiere at this year’s South by Southwest film festival in March and began streaming on Netflix in April.

Morgan got involved with 6 Balloons after her agent sent her the script, as well as a look book that Ryan had created. Morgan was impressed by both. “We met for coffee and after talking, we realized we were on the same page,” explains Morgan. “We agreed that the film had to be really raw and real. It couldn’t be glossy.”

“We didn't want the audience to be aware of the cinematography,” Morgan explains. “We wanted the viewer to feel like they were on the journey with the two protagonists – a bystander forced to witness the events that unfold. We didn't want the film to look perfect, but to make it feel immediate so people could emotionally respond to the story and feel the sense of drama and panic unfolding.”

Demon

Premiering at the 2017 Austin Film Festival where it won Best Narrative Short, Demon tells the story of a desperate man emerging from the night where he encounters a solitary shack in the middle of the desert. It is in this night setting where he discovers a dark secret that the property owner possesses on his property. The supernatural drama/thriller, directed by Caleb Slain, was shot by cinematographer Drew Dawson with the VariCam 35 camera just outside Joshua Tree National Park.

The Demon script had the setting as a desert landscape with a full moon. According to Dawson, the goal was to capture the entire film with moonlight, practicals, and minimal film lights.

A big influence for the look came from Pablo Picasso’s Blue Period. In the color grade, colorist Chad Terpstra added some green to the moonlight which was captured at 4250K in camera. According to Dawson, shifting the moonlight to be a little greener gave them the feel as if there was a kind of sickness out there in the desert.